Research by a North Dakota State University student published in a national journal illustrates the potential risk to community pharmacists and their employees working during the COVID-19 pandemic. “From my experience with working in community pharmacies, I was curious about the infection exposure among personnel due to close patient contact,” said Amanda Johnson, the NDSU pharmacy and public health student who conducted the research.
Published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, results of the study found a 14.6% positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among community pharmacy personnel, compared to a positivity rate of 5.4% for antibodies among the general public during the same time period.
“This demonstrates that pharmacy personnel may be at an increased rate of exposure to infections compared to the general public,” said Amanda Johnson.
“A majority of the pharmacy personnel that had antibodies did not show any symptoms, yet there was no outbreak in any one pharmacy,” said Johnson. “This showed that although pharmacy personnel were being exposed through patient interaction, precautions taken within the pharmacy prevented further spread to co-workers.”
As essential workers during the pandemic, community pharmacists continue serving their patients. During the study, researchers sampled staff at pharmacies in Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, two counties with the highest COVID-19 rates in July 2020. A total of 247 pharmacy personnel from 29 pharmacies participated in the study.
Community pharmacy personnel were tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies using a rapid antibody test. Those participating also completed a questionnaire about demographics, previous COVID-19 exposure and COVID-19 symptoms, and personal protection equipment (PPE) practices.
The article sharing the research results is titled “Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among North Dakota community pharmacy personnel: A seroprevalence survey.” Co-authors include Paul Carson, M.D., professor in the NDSU Department of Public Health; Elizabeth Skoy, PharmD., associate professor, NDSU Pharmacy Practice; and Brenda Vincent, PhD candidate, NDSU Department of Statistics.
Study authors noted that “Survey data revealed a statistically significant association…between a positive antibody test and direct contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19… but there were no statistically significant effects related to the workplace.”
Pharmacies typically began taking measures such as personal protective equipment in March 2020. The most commonly used PPE was masks, with additional measures such as plexiglass, closing the lobby, glove use, and goggles/face shields.
Study results suggest COVID-19 antibodies were higher among the community pharmacy personnel when compared to estimated regional samples, and when compared to measured seropositivity in other groups of health care workers.
Limitations of the study include its small sample size, and the potential for false negatives or false positives in testing. Johnson and her co-authors say that more studies are needed, as their results suggest community pharmacy personnel may be at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Johnson said that she gained invaluable experience creating a research project from the ground up, culminating with publication in a national journal.
“It’s an amazing opportunity that I’ve been given to be published while still a student,” said Johnson. She will graduate with a master’s degree in public health in 2021 and a doctorate degree in pharmacy in 2022. Johnson hopes to pursue a residency and specialize in infectious disease pharmacy.
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